Explosive powder and process of making same



lira tented May .1o,'r19z7-.'

tenses U.NIT?ED sTArEs rafts N nest-ca.

an'rnun. sfounm, or anon; rumors, Assrcuon .ro wns'rnim GARTBIDGE comrm, or nasr ALTON, rumors, A CORPORATION or nnnawann.

nxrnosrvn rownnn AND rnocn'ss or MAKiNG' snmn.

No Drawing,

This invention relatesto explosives, and more particularly to explosives conta ning ammonium nitrate as a base. v

(One of the objects of this invention is to '5 provide an explosive grain which is globular or spherical; Another object is to provide a globularor spherical explosive grain which is coated to 'provide'af water-proof grain.

p i0. i-Another'objec't is to provide a process for securing definite and uniform granulation of the rains.

Anot 'erobject is to provide a process for producing uniformly and continuously lfiicoated ains. 5 p f-AIIOt er object is to provide a definite progressive explosive mixture.

Further objects will appear from the de- A tail description in whieh will be illustrated preferred embodiments of this inventlon; it-will, however, be understood'that this in;

vention is susceptible of other embodiments. In thef'following, description 'the' invention will be particularly described as applied to the manufacture of. explosives containing is raisedto a point between 158 C. and 200?- "C., this temperature being considered practicable to sufliciently liquefythe substance andto be low enough to avoid decomposition. The salt is melted-and maintained at the above temperature and the liquid .am--

monium nitrate poured into apan or sieve, having. predetermined: perforatlons, this'pan being elevated over an air shaft. The droplets leaving the pan then fall through the air space, solidify and in falling assume a spherical shape. p 0" At the bottom of the shaft is a. tank or other container in which is placed a comi ou'nd which waterproofs the'spheres. This 'compoundmay be, l1qui d such as parafiin oil, 'rock, ,oil, liquid nitro aromatics, such as liquid trmitro-toluene, nitrh compounds ohbody and the coating medium will thus de- Ammonium nitrate such as nitro-glyc- Application niea'necember 1, 1924. .Serial No. 753,344.

tained by nitrating solvent naptha, mononitrobenzoles and toluols nitrp caster oil,

- nitro bodies obtained by nitrating petroleum fractionsfeta, or may be a solid whose melting point is belowethe melting point of ammonium nitrate, such as dinitro-toluene and t'rinitro-tolueno, nitroimpthalenes, nitrobenzoles, petrolatuni, parafiine or other waxes. The tank is maintained at a temperature which insures a maximum li uid condition of the coating material and t e pellets are a received .in' this tank. When a sufiicient quantity isreceived it is transferred to a heated centrifugal and the excess coating material removed. Instead of dropping the explosive in the coating medium, this coating medium may be run into the perforated dripping pan withthe ammonium nitrate. The explosive scen-d together in drops and the coating medium will collect around the'explosive drops and form a coating.

An alternative method of waterproofing is' to introduce the aim; into a revolving barrel or any suitab e mixer provided with steam heat and to add to this mixture a com-' pound composed of a polymerizable oil disp solved in a suitable solvent. Chinawood oil is preferred although such oils as Perilla and linseed may be used.

The method of'operation is as follows: A suitable quantity of ammonium nitrate in the granular form, preferably as heretofore described, is introduced into the mixing apparatus. Ghinaw'ood oil mixed with 50% of carbon tetra chlori-de is then poured on the mixture while in motion. Any desired quantity of this solution maybe used but it is preferable to use in the neighborhood. of one-half to one per cent of the weight of ammonium nitrate. After the pellets are completely coated with the above solution, tlieheatis turned on and the mixing con tinuedlunitil all of the solvent is evaporated. The temperature is then raised to the 'neigh- 'borhood of C. until the oil is com "pletely polymerized, this requiring from one to two hours-at the above'temperature and producinga uniformly coated grain, having water resisting qualities. I, *There, is' thus formed a globular or spherical exploslve rain as distinguished from one .yvith simp y rounded corners or 1 edges. Th s is due to the fact that the grain 1 is a solidified drop which is freely formed while the body is suspended in spaceand as it falls. The fact that the drop solidifiedwhile it is falling in a flowing or fluid condition causes it to become solidified: while' under surface tension and without restraint;"

accordingly it assures the natural form of a globule'or sphere. Moreover the coating is applied as the explosive is granulated, and

since the globules are smooth and not angular a uniform and continuous coating 1s msured.

In accordance with this invention the sieve. Accordingly a definiteand uniform ranulation is insured irrespective of any egree of concentration of the explosive compound. .The globular grainsmay,thereitore, be made of any desired size or sizesandall globules of the same size will be uniform. The term drop as used in the claims is intended .to cover a particle derived or formed from a completelymolten material. I

In accordance with this invention a progressive burning mixture may be obtained and the characteristics of the mixture may be varied by varying the grain sizes. Thus globular grains of varying sizes may be blended, and by varying the proportions of each size in the blended mixture, the de-' sired progressive burning mixtureflmay beobtained. The detonation .of ammonium sivehaving'ammonium' nitrate as abuse, it

will be =understood that certain features thereof may be applied to other explosives and other bages, It willfu-rthler be; obvious hanges maybe made ,in details 70'' specific details described.

Having thus described the invention, what 7 5 is claimed 1. A globular explosive; grain, ,freely formed in spacefr'om' a. completely. molten material.

2. A solidified explosive drop, formed 80 I from a completely molten material.

3. An explosive grain which consists'of a solidified drop formed from a completely molten compositio'nconta'ining a nitrate.

trate. 7

5-. A coated solidified explosive drop.

6. A coated solidifieddrop of ammonium nitrate' a water-proofin agent.

8. A solidifie explosive drop coated with a hydrocarbon. Y

9. A solidifiedexplosive drop coated with r a nitro-hydrocarbon. L

10; The process consisting in causin a completely molten'explosive'to become so 'dified in space while under surface tension.

11. Theprocess consisting in causing" nitrate is the result of an induced wave of cpme' solidified while falling.

detonation from theinitiator 0r sensitizer and the Wave is propagated at a diminished rate and intensity as it proceeds' The dis: tance to which this wave travels depends upon the intensity of the induced wave.

In other words, the detonation of ammonium nitrate in a body takes place inthe immediate vicinity of the initiator and to substance and the. ammonium nitrate: The

smaller the grains, the more'lntimate. the

mixture and vice-versa. The more intimate I and 'vice-versa. By .controlling the grain detonate a. quantity of ammonium nitrate it is necessary to mix with *it a quantity oftv a substance which is easily detonated. In

this way, the wave is propagated throughout the mass. Therefore, grain size, as

such, has ho efi'ect on the detonationiof a'm moniu m nitrate.

The grain size effects the intimacy of the mixture of the sensitizing the mixture, the more rapid the detonation size, I then-can control the mixture and by controlling the mixture can control the detonation. My method of graining i've's pellets of any desired size so thata de nite progressive burningg mixture may be obtained- Although thisinvention has been particularly described with reference to an explosolidi in space. 13'. The process 4 space.

ing' explosive drops to become 12. The process consisting in causing an explosive while ina comgletely molteiistate to' drop through a su cient. distance to consistinginxbreaking a 'completel molten explosive into d'ro s and causing t e drops to fall and soli ify' in '1 The 4. A solidified drop of ammonium ni-- 7 A solidified explosive drop" coated with completely molten explosive drops: to he'- 9 process consisting inconverting 1 an explosive into a completelymolten condition, andcausing the same to and solidify in space;

-15. The rocess consisting fall as drops in causing completely mo ten explosive drops to fall a d-116 solidify in space. 16. The" process of .forming globular coated, explosive grains consisting 1n cans coatin thereon.

17." he processof forming globularcoated explosive grains consisting. ancaus 'ing the' grain body to become solidified while under surface tension andforminga solidified" I whileifa'llin'g and forming a coating thereon.

18. The process consisting m'ca'usiZgek-M in i plosive drops tovfallinto a coating 19. The process consisting in' meItin an explosive andcausing the same to Ia as dfopsand into thegcoating-medium; j i m 20. An explosive consisting of a mixture of solidified explosive drops.

21. An explosive consisting of a mixture of solidified explosive drops and a sensi- 5 tizer.

22. An explosive consisting of a mixture of solidified explosive drops of progressively increasingslzes. r

Y 23. An

explosive consisting of globular 10 explosive grains of progressively increasing sizes.

24. An explosive consisting of globular explosive nitrate, sai grains being of progressively increasing sizes.

25. The process consisting in forming the explosive into definite dropsof progressively increasing sizes.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature this 12th day of November, 1924.

. ARTHUR s. ONEIL.

grains comprising ammonium 

